Cooling tower



W. WESTON Oct. 13, 1931.

COOLING TOWER Filed Dec. 5,

[NVFNTOR- M. am Msfan ATTORNE'Y I Patented Get. 13, 1931 XVIL'LIAM WESTON, 0E INDEPENDENCE, IIIISSOURI, ASSIGETOB- TO J. F. PRITC QOQOF KANSAS Cl'TY, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI iszaaiz s Parser ()FFICE COOLING- TOWER Application filed December 5, 1927. Serial No. 237,757.

My invention relates to cooling towers, and more particularly to decks of cooling towers, the principal objects of the invention being to divide the falling water frequently into a multiplicity of small drop-curtains formed of separated drops, to maintain the spacing of slot-forming elements, to minimize warping, splitting and other distortion of deck members, to provide for the interception of substantially all drops falling through the tower, and to t'acihtate the handling of deck members and the erection of cooling towers.

In accomplishing these and other ob ect.' of the invention I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying relative wldeness.

drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a portion of a cooling tower.

Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of a section of a deck, one deck member being shown in separated position. i

Fig. 3 is a detail enlarged perspective frag mentary view of a deck member from be- 'neath the same, showing the taper terminal walls of longitudinal slots.

Fig. lis a vertical section of a deck memher on the line 4-4, Fig. 2.

Referring in detail to the drawings:

1 designates posts, 2 ties, 3 supporting struts, and 4 louvers of a cooling tower of ordinary construction. My invention relates particularly to similar trays or decks 5, each consisting of a plurality of deck members comprising slats or strips 6 preferably of wood, several deck members being as sembled and joined by battens 7 to constitute a section of a deck. The sections are disposed so that the slats lie longitudinally of the tower on the struts between the posts and are provided to intercept water falling through the tower from a supply source not shown.

There are a plurality of similar decks and cooling tower,the slats are relatively thick and narrow, and the falling water falls through the channels or trickles down the Walls of slats to fall to the deck below or to a receiver not shown. I provide slats ofrg h special form andstructure, and particularly slats relatively wide and thin, and provided with longitudinal slots such as 11. The slots are prererably aligned tovconstitute a series or line of slots spaced by tenons l2 and I: also preferably provide a plurality of similar slots 13 and 14 parallel with the slots 11 and in staggered relation therewith. The plurality of separated slots so provided,

HARD a,

which tend to break up the falling watery streams, is particularly practicable by reason of the thinness of the members, and their A further feature of the deck members contributing to the distribution of water in de;;

sired extended sheets and maximum extension, consists intaperingthe end walls of the slots as indicated by 16 so that the length of a slot on theupper surface of a deck member is less than the length ofthe slot on the lower surface. Water tends to move along the end walls of the slots, and falling from the lower edges of the elongated lower slot opening, provides a -water-drop curtain falling in longer sheets than is represented by theta -described-have differential length on the upper and. the lower surfaces of the deck members, the relat1vely short tenon surface such as designated 17' in relation to the slot;

end walls suggesting the differentiation.

The tapering of the slots therefore provides s ufi'icient spacing otthe slots, and suflicient length of tenons,considering the upper face of the members, to secure desired strength and stiffness, a result to which the staggering of the slots contributes, and at the same time provides for delivery of water drops in substantially continuous vertical planes. The

lateral staggering of the slats and slots in vertically adjacent decks adds to the distributor efi'ect.

Deck members havin been provided as described, and assembled in decks of a coolin tower, water delivered to a deck is distri uteri Waugh the slots in a number of curtains or streams of drops in position to be cooled by the air currents, the structure providing for a substantial increase in the water surface presented to the air currents and therefore an increase in cooling efiiciency.

In a deck constructed in this manner, the relative rigidity of the wider strips provides accurate spacing of strips when installed, and

the accurate spacing, in connection with the original revision of slots, provides for more 'efieient 'stribution of water upon ori 'nal installation. Further, the structure wi retain the characteristic of eificiency, since the widerstrips, being stiller, tend to preserve the original acing of the strips; which, with the slot construction, provides for a minimum possibility of splitting and warping to distort a cent vertical walls to a prejudicial de e reduction of the warping hazpermits construction of the deck members from thinner material, reducing cost of material; and the use of thinner material, eon'lbi'ned with the provision of the slots,perl0 mite fbrming oi relatively wide stri s, thereby minimiarn the labor of handing and assembling. staggering of slots provides the tenons which constitutea transverse 'sfi fiening element, whereby a substantial in- 88 crease in lateral strength isattained, substgntiqlly groporti onate to the differentiate in "width 0 the members over the width of ordin deck slats; A larger variety of relations between slots of a deck, and between vertically adjacent decks, is ossible with the illustrated structure, so t atthe maximum number of drops of water can be intercepted, a minimum number will fall directly; through the slots, and a maximum 4; degree ofspraying eflect will be produced.

What I claim and desire to secure by Lettors Patient is:

1 In a cooling tower, a deck including parallel shitss ed laterally to form chanlo nels between amen slats, eachslat having a plurality ofslote extending longitudinally "therein, each slot having end walls diver rig to form a longer opening on one side 0 the slat than on the other, the slats being posiu tinned on the su rt to present the sides -fl\ereof having t e longer openings downwanily. 2'. In a cooling tower, a deck including a shit having a plurality of parallel series of Ollaligned slots, each slot having end walls diverging to reduce the spacing between alignedslofis on one side of the slat, and the slat being positioned with the sidethereof having the reduced spacing of aligned slots presentied downwardly.

ature. 

